Masks behind Masks
by Serymn
Summary: Sasori died, Deidara moved on, and got a new partner. In a new life that wasn't supposed to be: Sasori gets sealed off edo tensei, Deidara gets upset, and meets the person behind the mask of "Tobi". (History repeats itself in absurd ways.)
1. Preface

AN: So I wrote some gen SasoDei fics and realized it had a lack of Tobi. This will only be 2 chapters for the sake of convenience, because I wasn't satisfied with where it was going and I think a fresh slate of a new chapter would make me write a better conclusion...

**###**

Masks are convenient. Shinobi use them for many things: to hide identity, to protect the face, and sometimes as part of standard ninja uniform. It wasn't the best for hiding identity, as there are other more accurate means to be identified other than the face – like scents and chakra signatures.

Deidara doesn't mind people wearing masks, or care enough to be curious about what they're hiding. He has worked with many ninja using masks, and it doesn't matter if they reveal their faces or not. How people chose to present themselves was none of his business.

Sasori had _layers_ of masks. First, it was the black scarf covering his half of his face. Then he saw it was only hiding a mechanical mouth that can shoot out fire, bullets, or poison needles. There, he noticed his partner had a puppet body of some sort. Later still he realized that the puppet body must be a husk, another mask to hide the real Sasori inside. It was a surprise to find Sasori almost _angelic_, too pretty to be real, because turns out he wasn't really human. _It_ was a weapon-riddled doll encasing for a delicate beating heart. He had asked Sasori about that, and Sasori explained it was the only position he can place his heart for full control of his body.

Deidara didn't worry. Sasori is the strongest shinobi he had the pleasure of knowing, and considered himself lucky to be working with him. Sasori can do mass murder with nothing but a spray of poisoned senbon. He wouldn't take out his precious puppets unless he had a worthy opponent. He didn't even have to step out of his puppet armor.

If Deidara would think of it as a video game, Sasori's real body was the Ultimate Baddie to defeat. That is, if someone was unfortunate enough to live through all the poisons, traps, and the hundreds of puppets. Enemies have died barely reaching Level 1. Deidara has estimated his chances. There's a very slim chance that Sasori would be defeated. It was close to impossible to get him in a state that the weak spot would be exposed. Getting Sasori to even step out of Hiruko in a fight is almost a guarantee of death.

It had become a joke between them when training together, 'how long do we spar until Sasori takes his shirt off'. Deidara knows he's one of the few who can stand equal with Sasori and still live. Sasori taking off his cloak is a good sign – it meant _this fight is getting serious_. Deidara's own mesh shirt is already torn in places from dodging puppets wielding blades, so he just takes it off and starts fighting shirtless.

He'd release his bombs, avoid the puppets as much as possible and aim for Sasori.

Usually, though, he's the one who ends up unconscious from a well-aimed poisoned needle. He would wake up sprawled on Sasori's lap while the other applied the antidote and mended his wounds with healing chakra.

The first time it happened, a senbon struck him on the neck. He woke and found himself lying on his side, hair retied more neatly in a single ponytail he doesn't remember doing, his head resting on some cloth-covered curved surface. He was on a bed, and lying on what looked like someone's outstretched legs that didn't feel like normal.

"Don't move," Sasori said, and Deidara froze at the sudden warning.

He felt something thin and cold slide out of his skin, then the cool brush of chakra. He's sweating from the heat, and in his delirium all he's thinking about is how Sasori's cloak might be stained with it. He was so near…

Then Sasori pushed Deidara off him and walked out of the room without a word. On the table was a glass of water, a new shirt, and an Akatsuki cloak. The old cloak was somehow burned in their practice battle. Well, at least Sasori cares enough.

Somehow, he's gotten used to waking up this way. Sometimes, Sasori stays longer. They don't speak, and Deidara would pretend to sleep. Sasori does things – fixes his own injuries, reads a book or studies a scroll. Here he realizes how _convenient_ Sasori's body is. He wouldn't be hurt the way humans of flesh and blood do. He would never get sunburned or scarred. Deidara always got sunburned from flying too high when the sun was blazing, and enemies aware of his technique always targeted his hands. His arms would always be bruised or wounded after a mission.

* * *

But Sasori died. He had thought it was impossible, but turns out a slim chance is still a chance. It just increased when the opponent was his own grandmother and a kunoichi who had an antidote to the poison and the strength to destroy the puppets. Later, he would learn that her name is Sakura Haruno, former teammate of the nine-tails jinchuuriki and Itachi's brother. Deidara made a mental note to congratulate the girl when he gets to meet her, and challenge her to a fight.

Sasori died and Deidara gloated. Sasori had become arrogant, believing too much in his own version of immortality... maybe thinking he'd be feared for always and forever, forgetting his one weakness. Deidara wasn't the type to mourn, and he won't dwell on it. They had a great time together, made all the more precious by how brief it is. Three years was too short.

Then, it turns out their organization was really hard-up when he was teamed with an idiotic amateur named Tobi.

* * *

He wore a mask, too. Deidara has ceased to be curious of what's underneath masks a long time ago. With the kind of screwed-on body armor Tobi wore, and his useful technique of disappearing through surfaces, he wouldn't be surprised if Tobi was the Invisible Man underneath the covers.

Tobi calls him "Senpai", and Deidara can't help but feel he was baby-sitting someone. Well, this is how Sasori must have felt with him, then? Deidara can't handle responsibility and he often lost patience with Tobi. The Leader's been scolding them a lot, lately, to the amusement of the rest of the Akatsuki.

Deidara found himself _liking_ Tobi, even if the other often made jokes about Deidara's art. It wasn't like Sasori's condescending manner. He didn't feel like a subordinate working with a superior anymore, but with an actual partner. Even if said new partner was only good at bragging and running away and making Deidara do all the work. It's probably because Deidara felt that Tobi had genuine appreciation and curiosity about his art.

It wasn't different from before, really, when he wakes up in bed not remembering where he'd been. He'll wake up with ache from healing injuries. Tobi's sitting beside him, telling him to rest and eat properly.

The first time it happened, he woke up with bandages around his chest. Tobi was sitting on his bed, trying to solve a Rubik's cube. He recalls a recent mission, but the memory of it is vague and the details hazy in his mind.

Tobi felt him wake. "Senpai, there was a nasty wound on your back I had to heal. I couldn't heal it properly with your hair getting in the way so I tied it up for you."

Deidara touched his hair, which Tobi managed to braid. He thought maybe Tobi would be the one injured from their mission.

"So you know how to do healing jutsu, hm?"

"Just the very basics! I'm not a medic, Rin taught me I should learn some just in case…"

"Rin? Whose that?" Deidara sat up.

"A… friend." Tobi stopped fiddling with the cube and stared at it with his one good eye for a full minute.

Then, in a fast flurry of twists and turns, he completed it. "Look, Deidara-senpai!" and presented it to Deidara.

"What would I do with that? Blow it up?"

"Keep it." Tobi placed it on the desk. Deidara noticed several senbon owned by Sasori still on the desk, glimmering from the sunlight through the window.

* * *

Sometimes, Deidara dreams of a dark place. The floors are made of wide white and uneven cubes, stretching out in all directions Deidara can see. They resemble the white side of a solved Rubik's cube, squares of different heights all around. Sometimes, there is Sasori. Sometimes, it's Itachi. Deidara doesn't remember much of these dreams. Most of the time, there is Tobi, alone or talking a grey-haired boy or a girl. _That's_ _Rin, maybe_. Tobi is always unmasked in the dream, but when Deidara wakes he can't remember a detail of his face. This place always appears in his dreams before he wakes up from unconsciousness.

* * *

He had a conversation with Sasori, once.

"So, when is that _last ultimate art_ of yours going to happen?" Sasori asked, and Deidara imagines that there's a hint of concern in that smug voice.

"Worried, Danna? Not anytime soon. I bet you'd be killed first before my death…"

Sasori appeared to sigh.

But, he turned out to be right, and Sasori was gone first.

Deidara had long decided that he would die by his own art, die _being_ art, in a final glorious explosion that the rest of the world would talk about for a long time.

* * *

…_tbc._


	2. Under the Mask

AN: I changed my username from 'teckno-one' to 'Serymn'. Story has less Sasori, more Tobi, & much longer than the first. I think of this as the main story and chapter 1 as a sort of prologue. Enjoy (I hope?).

###

* * *

He's used to Sasori pissed off or when Sasori's threatening to kill him, because Deidara knows Sasori won't carry on with those threats anyway. What he didn't expect, though, was how creepy Sasori would be if he gets all touchy-feely. Deidara's the current victim.

"You'll see what true art means when I add you to my collection," he said after another debate on the subject of art. Sasori's hands are trailing over his shoulders and arms, down his back, feather-light touches in places that make the hair on his nape tingle. Sasori prodded and poked his waist.

"Danna, you're freaking me out, stop doing that," Deidara said, as he twitched away from Sasori's touch which was starting to feel ticklish.

"I'll have to cut up your spine over here, but your hands? I think I need to study first the kinjutsu you stole and –"

"Sasori, I'd rather blow myself up!" Deidara nearly screamed, and Sasori's smile began to look more vicious. Then, there was a knock on the door. "It's open, come in!" Deidara said to the door, planning to kick Sasori off him and leap out the room once it opened. The doorknob turned and just before the person outside peered in, Sasori scrambled like a scared cat and hid inside Hiruko in a quick move, much to Deidara's amusement. Sasori's had a habit of hiding on reflex. It seemed no one in the Akatsuki has seen his real form except Deidara.

It was another guy they haven't seen before, in all-black and wearing an orange mask. "Hello, Sasori-san, Deidara-san! I'm Tobi, Zetsu-san's assistant! I'm here to deliver something," he said, while waving a scroll on his hand.

"YES! Leave it and let's get out of here, Tobi!" Deidara interrupted, about to grab Tobi's arm just to get out, but Tobi bolted out first and ran down the hallway, dropping the scroll. Several senbon embedded the wall across the door. Hiruko's jaws are open and clicking, ready to launch more.

"You trust intruders easily, Deidara," Sasori warned. Deidara picked up the scroll Tobi dropped and looked at it. "It's addressed to you, danna," he said as he handed it to Sasori.

Zetsu materialized on the floor. "Ah, sorry about that, Sasori-san. Tobi works for me, he's a good boy. I told him to give it to you in case I'm a bit late. I know you hate waiting."

"Are you sure he can be trusted?" Sasori asked.

"_The leader knows him, I guarantee it_," Zetsu's black half answered.

"You okay there, Tobi?" Deidara called out. An orange mask peered at them from the edge of the hall.

"I'm fine!" he answered. That was how Deidara and Tobi first met.

* * *

Zetsu, Tobi, Sasori, and Deidara all sat in the living room of the headquarters. It was an unusual, quiet day. Sasori is inspecting the scroll and Zetsu is reading the daily newspaper, commenting now and then on recent events or arguing with himself. Tobi looked over Deidara's shoulder as the artist molded the same lump of clay, looking bored as he did so.

"I heard a lot about your art, Deidara-san! I'd like to hop in and fly with your clay birds one of these days!" Tobi said, interrupting the silence.

Sasori narrowed Hiruko's eyes, already irritated by the man in the orange mask who speaks like he had an exclamation point to end every sentence.

"Why, of course. You want it now?" Deidara grinned, forming a model of a four-winged bird and threw it just outside the door. It enlarged with smoke as he formed a hand seal. He walked out, jumped up on it and waved his arm as a gesture for Tobi to join him.

"Wait! I need to get my things," Tobi said, and he fused himself to a nearby wall and disappeared to the next room. He came out the same way a moment later, now carrying a matching orange backpack.

"I'll look out for Deidara-san, Sasori-san! We won't take long, Zetsu-san!" Tobi said as he waved goodbye then leaped up the clay bird to sit beside Deidara. The bird flapped its wings, and started ascending.

Zetsu lowered the newspaper and Sasori looked up from the scroll. They both watched as Deidara and Tobi flew farther and higher, and in an attempt to stand Tobi outbalanced and fell down the bird with a scream. Deidara laughed as another clay bird swiped by below to catch Tobi just in time. They disappeared into the distance. Sasori and Zetsu went back to what they were reading.

* * *

"Do you think I have what it takes to be an Akatsuki member, Deidara-san? There's still one available slot, right?" Tobi asked, as they flew slowly above a still sea, each sitting on a clay bird. The sky was entirely covered in white clouds, also reflected by the water, which gave an effect that they were flying through nothing but a world of white.

"As if we'd let you in just because there's a free slot."

"Zetsu-san will back me up! I've met the leader and he knows me!"

"Why would any sane shinobi want to join the Akatsuki? You'll be wanted in all countries. People would attempt to kill you on sight for the bounty, though most of the time it's unfortunate for them than for us. But still, we need to stay more alert than usual. There are good missions where I get to use my art to full extent, but lately that's getting rare. Most missions we get are boring, but I have no choice because it's necessary."

"Then why do you stay?"

"Didn't want it at first. But then, I get paid lots to do whatever with my art as long as the mission's done. Who doesn't want that? Great company, too. Not that bad of a shinobi organization if not for our misleading evil reputation…"

"I think you're all cool, Deidara-san! If I were your partner I'd call you my senpai!"

Deidara snorted. "As if that will happen. Anyway, there's this new kind of explosion I made I want to try out here," and he showed Tobi a handful of clay butterflies. He tossed them up the sky and the tiny creatures flew around them before flying farther away. They exploded into many rainbow-colored, red to violet streaks, like multicolored lines of crayon sketching on a bond-paper white sky. The colors were more solid than the usual fireworks used at night.

"Daylight fireworks," Deidara said while watching the colored smoke dissipate.

"So cool! Can I try? They're better than regular fireworks," Tobi said, and Deidara can imagine him smiling under that mask.

Deidara handed him a tiny clay dragonfly. Tobi cupped it in his hand and let it perch on a finger before letting it fly. It exploded into numerous red-orange rays emanating from a central point, creating a chrysanthemum explosion.

"Nice!" Tobi stood over the clay bird he's riding on to watch closer.

As they travelled further, sea changed to land. They flew in silence as they watched the geography of cities, forests, and rivers below. The white shade of the sky gradually turned to grey until it was a dull steel color. They were approaching Rain Country, recognizable from the blur of thick rain and the tall peaks of its high, narrow buildings. Cold, damp air wafted over them.

"Sir Leader's from Amegakure, right? Shall we drop by to see him?"

"No, we'll go around and not pass by the rain, then return. I guess its okay to tell you this – Danna told me who we know as the leader isn't really the leader. The leader who meets us is only _one_ of his bodies used in the Six Paths technique. I never met who really runs the Akatsuki. Maybe Sasori knows."

Tobi suddenly laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Deidara-san. I know of a new seafood place nearby. Let's stop to eat."

"Alright." They flew down to land.

* * *

"Good job on capturing the jinchuuriki, Deidara. However, we mourn the unfortunate loss of a member, Sasori. We need to make a lot of adjustments due to this. It will be difficult to replace someone of his caliber," said the Leader to their projections gathered at the Base for a meeting.

"Will I have to find and recruit a new partner?" Deidara asked.

"Don't worry about that, Deidara. I'll give you some time off for now. You'll be partnered with Tobi for new missions."

"WHAT? When was he accepted?"

"Just today."

"Aren't you excited to be partners, Deidara-_senpai_? I am!" Tobi's projection said, almost wiggling in excitement while Kisame snickered in the background. Deidara glared at them both.

"Hn. My point here is, Sasori was defeated and killed even with how strong he is. Really, Tobi, you sure you still want in? I don't want to have to look after you."

"Don't worry, senpai! I can take care of myself!" said Tobi, raising his hand. Deidara looked kind of resigned and tired.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Deidara," said Itachi's calm voice. Deidara looked shocked from that, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Even Kisame and Tobi was surprised and looked at Deidara for his reaction.

Once he calmed from the initial surprise, Deidara smirked and replied, "Sasori had it coming. Feel sorry for him, not me." Itachi didn't say anything more.

But soon, Deidara felt that being partnered with Tobi wasn't that bad. He had been going around flying wherever with him before they were partners, and he found those hours of silence in the sky comfortable. They often ate in sidewalk stalls or random restaurants together. He found it strangely endearing, the way Tobi listened or looked at him when he explained art, showed him a new firework, or another clay sculpture; tilting his head slightly as if to adjust the sight of his one good eye from the mask. The leader's decision had been okay, after all.

* * *

His first mission alone after Sasori's death had been simple: destroy a small island near Kiri. He didn't ask what for, but he wasn't feeling that well when he set out. Everyone's away for their own missions, Tobi and Zetsu sent by the leader to spy somewhere else. His severed arms were recently attached by Kakuzu, but they felt unnatural and it will take some time before the nerves to adjust. He wasn't assigned a mission for a couple of weeks after Sasori's death. He's sick, but he ventured alone, as he felt it's been too long since he's used his art. He'd wanted to see something explode. It turned out to be a bad idea. Sasori wouldn't have allowed him to go, if he were still alive.

He had sent ten of his clones to surround the island, each exploding in early trial versions of his planned last ultimate art. He's done the mission, and was satisfied with seeing the place destroyed in a blink. He watched until the violent waves caused by the explosions subsided, leaving empty still water, as if an island wasn't there in the first place. His already low chakra was easily drained by using that explosion on his clones, not even having enough strength to control his means of travel. He used what little chakra left to land the clay bird on a nearby shore of another island. It felt like he was going to pass out. Sick, trying to rest, and down with luck, a group of hunter-nin from Hidden Mist happened to be there and saw the clay bird descend and fall.

* * *

He woke with both arms ripped off _again_, with only loose stitches left hanging on bloody stumps where his limbs used to be. He felt that he was tied into a chair with rusted barbed wire chakra restraints wrapped around his torso, their sharp twisting points biting into his skin and making it bleed. His neck ached, head stretched back so he faces the ceiling. The first thing he sees when he opens his eyes is the glare of a cheap, grimy yellow-orange light bulb swaying from a wire.

He woke up and sat straight, looked around. He was surrounded by ninja wearing blank, white half-masks that covered their faces but showed their grins: thin pale lips stretching wide against fine, sharp piranha-teeth. On their hands was a variety of lethal weapons he couldn't name, poised to hit him.

"We've been waiting for you to wake up, boy," the skinny man in front of him said.

"Let's see if you can still blow us up!" said another voice, cackling in mocking laughter.

He doesn't even have the strength to talk back. His hair is down, tangled and matted with his own blood. He is already bleeding from numerous fresh cuts. He also knows, though, that these idiots were about to be exploded sky-high. If they hurt him enough, hit him in right places, a choice body part would explode along with them all.

"Sorry I'm late, senpai," said Tobi's voice, appearing out of nowhere behind him. The restraints became loose as Tobi slashed them off. Before the Mist-nin could attack, Tobi stepped in front of him. All of them froze in place, from looking at Tobi's mask. It must be a paralyzing genjutsu.

Tobi moved his mask aside, until only his eyes are covered by the black swath of elastic cloth holding the mask. Tobi formed a seal, placed two fingers of his right hand against his own lips, and whispered: "_Katon."_ He softly blew out thin air, as if he's only turning off a burning candle. A tiny circle of flame appeared, quickly forming to spiral fire. Then fire grew faster into a large flame vortex consuming everything in its way.

"That's quite artistic," Deidara said in a hoarse voice, standing and leaning on weakly to Tobi. Before the flames could reach where they stand, there was a whirling blur and they disappeared to another place. The first thing Deidara sees here is black, and he noticed he was lying down on a hard floor. He can make out edges of large white structures in his peripheral vision. He can't feel a thing. Tobi must be healing him. He felt his arms being reattached.

"I felt that you were in danger but it took me a while to sense where you are, Deidara-senpai. The restraints they used do that. You have a fever," Tobi said, pressing an ungloved palm on his forehead. Deidara reached out and touched his hand. _So he isn't the Invisible Man after all_, he thought. Tobi isn't wearing his mask. He had a face.

"You didn't need to arrive, really. If they had hit me any harder with those knives they'll all be blown up anyway," Deidara said.

"I had to kill that group, anyway. If this keeps on going on, senpai, you'll die in an explosion. You're way too weak right now."

"Don't worry, Tobi. I _will_ die in an explosion. It will be my greatest art. Danna will scold me again for being too careless…" Deidara said, mouthing silent words his voice was too weak to speak.

Tobi pressed his palm to Deidara's eyes, gently closed them, and said, "Go to sleep, senpai," and Deidara did. When Deidara wakes in the comfortable confines of his room later, wounds fixed and chakra restored good as new, it will all be another vague dream and he won't remember Tobi's face again.

* * *

One day, Deidara decided to find and fight Sasuke Uchiha on a whim. It seemed like a spontaneous decision, which things always are with Deidara. Tobi knows why.

Orochimaru betrayed Sasori, and Deidara wanted to defeat him, too bad he was killed first by Sasuke Uchiha. Deidara had another personal reason. Itachi had beaten Deidara and forced him to join Akatsuki, and Deidara wanted to defeat him as well. The only other known living person with pure Sharingan eyes was Itachi's brother, who also happened to be Sasuke Uchiha. Deidara had been training all this time to defeat the Sharingan, the source of Itachi's powers, those eyes that belittled and never acknowledged his art. His goal of defeating Itachi wasn't in the best interests of Akatsuki. So the next best person to target to test his improvement on his training against the Sharingan was Sasuke Uchiha.

That Sasuke was also a vital part of Obito's long term plans was just coincidence.

Deidara had chosen to kill himself even before this. No one could do anything to stop him, because he knows Deidara had made up his mind and had a higher regard for art than his own life. In a way, that was admirable, to give one's life completely for one purpose. Even if others thought it was pointless. The best he could do was observe their fight, to see how powerful Sasuke had become and watch him against Deidara's art.

* * *

Deidara turned into a grand white blaze searing forth the sky, reaching the sun, brighter than anything in the world. His last thought before that was, _I'm sorry, Tobi_. This thought reached Tobi, and he knew and felt this was the end for the artist.

He watched miles away from Deidara's last explosion. Obito took off his mask in respect, a sign of mourning for the passing of a friend, and for both his Sharingan to better record the moment of Deidara's death and magnum opus. He knows it defeats the purpose of Deidara's artistic philosophy, but he wants it to be preserved in memory, as accurate as possible so he can picture or relive it if he wanted to.

He stood there for a long time, even after the smoke and sound have subsided. He thought that it would leave trails of wildfires over the forests, but it didn't. The explosion was quick and clean. He would have to check on Sasuke Uchiha, as his further plans depend whether he survives or not.

He was just flying along with Deidara hours ago, but now, he wasn't there. There was no clay bird to fly over the sky with Deidara again. No more artistic fireworks or explosions. Obito tried to sift his memory for something to remember Deidara by. He thought with amusement how they spent most of their time eating out, in sidewalk stalls and restaurants, than in actual missions. Now, there would be nothing of that, too.

_Time to stop playing the fool_. He enjoyed their time as partners, even through a fake personality. How long had they been partnered? Four, six months? He had lost count or cared. If he had learned anything from Deidara, it was to live in the moment. Still, it was fun. They had a great time together, made all the more precious by how brief it is. A few months were too short. He'll miss it, sure, but won't dwell on it.

Then he remembers – when the Moon's Eye plan eventually succeeds, he can always have Deidara around if he wants to.

* * *

It's time to stop playing the fool, because it's time to start playing Madara Uchiha again. Though, there are very rare times he feels that he'd rather stay as the Tobi who was Deidara's partner. Not the Madara involved in family matters with Sasuke and Itachi. Sometimes, he'd rather be the dead Obito. Well, all those names don't matter. They were as replaceable as masks. All his names behind names and masks behind masks were for hiding the no one inside. He lived for only one purpose, the reason of his existence – to save the world from its cycle of misery.

* * *

Deidara was resurrected in the midst of battle, right in his favorite place in the world, the sky. Wonders never cease. He's alive, and in his first few seconds of awareness, it felt damn good to be existing again. Better than the nothing of death. He is first greeted by a man who introduced himself as Kabuto, the one who revived him for war. Deidara didn't mind being instructed around because he's exhilarated at using his art again. His first fight alive was an odd reunion with former comrades from Iwa – Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, and Oonoki.

However, the fight with Oonoki was abruptly cut short from being summoned back again by Kabuto. Being controlled was a price to pay for a second chance at living. He can't have all the fun he wants or the freedom to create his art whenever he wants to.

He is brought back to awareness again by Kabuto. They are both standing on a clay bird flying away from the Tortoise Island, away from pursuers.

"Is Sasori going to be revived as well?" Deidara asked.

"Yes. I'll assign you both for the ambush squad when the war begins," Kabuto replied.

"I can't wait to meet him again and mock his death."

"I used to work as a spy for Sasori-san, long ago. I was surprised to find his actual body was that way when he died."

"He had a weird quirk of constantly hiding inside that puppet Hiruko, I don't know why. How about Tobi? Is he revived, too?"

"Ah, you didn't know, Deidara-san? He's still alive. In fact, he's with me in this war, because all that's left of Akatsuki is him and Zetsu. You'd be surprised on who he really is behind that mask," Kabuto said with a smile that made Deidara uncomfortable.

"Really? I can't believe most of the Akatsuki are defeated. I don't know if I can believe that Tobi ended up the one who outlived them all and is now starting a war. Behind the mask? Why?"

"They were eliminated one by one after you were killed by Sasuke Uchiha–"

"Why does that bastard get all the credit? There's misinformation. He didn't kill me, I killed myself! And he _died_ from my ultimate art!"

"Are you _that_ sure? Full of yourself about your art, aren't you? Why don't you ask Tobi, the man who calls himself _Madara Uchiha_, the truth? Did you know how Itachi Uchiha died? You'd be surprised…" said Kabuto with a little malicious laugh. Deidara was getting pissed. Kabuto was irritating, only saying incomplete things and didn't say anything useful.

"What if I blow you up, huh?" said Deidara, hands already full with explosive clay creatures and was about to throw it all on Kabuto's face.

Kabuto did a small seal and twisted the talisman dug into Deidara's nape just a little, enough for Deidara to be aware his control. Deidara grit his teeth and glared at him, but he couldn't speak or move the rest of his body.

"You better remember, that all of you are nothing but my puppets now. I want you silent and obedient, as your Sasori-_danna_ would say about his collection, right?" Kabuto hissed. Another adjustment of the talisman and Deidara's eyes turned white. He didn't talk back, and Kabuto liked that better.

* * *

"My spirit as a puppeteer ninja is strong enough to beat you and your attacks," Kankuro went on with this speech to Sasori, much to Deidara's irritation. Both of them had been captured inside those wooden puppets after a fight, and a controlling seal keeps them unable to use chakra. Deidara couldn't believe Sasori would still listen, or god forbid _consider_, what crap Kankuro was saying.

He hears Sasori and Kankuro talk, their conversation going into sentimentality so unlikely coming from Sasori. _It's your soul in your works that last forever… Keep my mother and father puppets_…

What?

"Don't listen to him! Art is fleeting!" Deidara screams, but its too late. Sasori's gone, and now it is _final_.

* * *

Deidara can't stand that Kankuro kid. He was only an unoriginal puppeteer without even a hint of creativity who claims to be Sasori's successor, who even in his arrogance claims to be _better_. He had the gall to summon Sasori's former puppet body, and claimed to surpass Akasuna no Sasori. He can't even create puppets of his own, yet he thinks he's the shit.

Sasori's was gone as quickly as he appeared. One argument, a brief fight against the enemy, then gone to soon in too short a time it wasn't even worth mentioning. Now here he was, trapped inside a tiny wooden cell of a puppet's hollow body. He is restrained by a coiled iron cable attached from Sasori's puppet body (of all things). He tried to move, but it only wound him tighter. He'd been screaming insults at his captors for a while, but he's gotten tired of it. It seemed that they have left him alone, and it had reached night. It was dark inside.

With no one to talk to, his thoughts kept on returning to Sasori. Kankuro had said, "It's your creations that will last forever, by those who inherit them and the soul you put into them." Is this really true? No, Deidara thinks. How long will that forever last? Sasori may be a legendary master puppeteer. Even if it will last long, given enough time, his name will fade to nothing and he will be forgotten. It wasn't a comfortable thought. Better to savor a moment of art while it lasts, not bother about things like being remembered after the artist is gone.

There was faint whispering from outside.

"…want us to get ya out of there, Deidara?" said a familiar voice he recognized as Zetsu's.

"Yes! But how'd you get in here, Zetsu?" he whispered back.

"I'm disguised as a samurai guard and I replaced someone who went away. I'll slip in the sword so you can cut your way out. Can you move your hand?"

"I guess it's better to slash the puppet. Don't worry about hitting me, I'll heal right away," he braced himself as the blade sliced a side of the puppet, slashing his restraints. He grabbed the sword and cut the remaining loops holding him. He cut his way out of the puppet to stand. No one has noticed them yet, and they started running through the forest. This time, alert samurai and ninja seemed to appear out of nowhere and also started chasing after them. More of Zetsu's clones appeared and tried to stop their pursuers.

As they leaped through high branches, Zetsu asked, "Why don't you just blow them up? Or get one of your clay birds to fly us out of here?"

"I ran out of clay! Do you know where I can get some?"

"Where the forest ends, we'll reach the open plains. I think there's clay near the river,"

"Let's go there. Wait, Zetsu, where's Tobi? And why does Kabuto say that Tobi now calls himself Madara Uchiha?"

Zetsu appeared to hesitate but answered, "Er… it's a long story, Deidara! We better hurry, it seems some Samurai has defeated my clones and are chasing after us!"

Two samurai in uniforms are now very near them. Both Deidara and Zetsu released countless clones of themselves and made them take off in different directions, to the confusion of the samurai who weren't sensitive enough to chakra. If sensing ninjas from Kankuro's troop was there, they'd be easily found. They eventually reached the edge of the forest where the plains began. Zetsu found the soft ground where the clay is. It was ordinary clay, but it will be enough for Deidara.

While gathering clay in his hands, Deidara saw a dark figure seated on a nearby rock. He can see the person's back: a _gunbai _weapon strapped on him and there's a knot on the back of his neck holding a mask in place. It was no other than Tobi.

* * *

"Tobi, we're all fighting out there and you're only sitting here?" Deidara asked, standing near him.

"Ah, it's you, Senpai," Tobi said, back still turned on Deidara.

"Anyway, I just need to _vent_, I can't stand that Kankuro bitch. He's stolen Danna's art yet saying he's surpassed him? What the hell? What's worse, Sasori was just taking it. I was hoping Danna would say something scathing, but Sasori sealed himself off barely an hour into the fight! And he used to almost kill me for my arguments against his _eternal art._"

"Deidara–"

"Wait. That snake-ass Kabuto's not making it better. What he's saying about you, that you're Madara and a damn Uchiha? I won't believe a word from that snake. I hate it that he can control me at his whim. I'd rather kill myself again if I could!"

"Snake-ass? Yes. That's a fitting term for that Orochimaru wannabe."

In a few seconds, they were suddenly surrounded by troops of both ninja and samurai, headed by Kankuro. "You just can't _shut up_, now you just revealed where you are with your damn mouth," the puppet-user said.

More of Zetsu's clones appeared from the ground, ready to fight them.

Before Deidara could release bombs to blow up everyone around their vicinity, Tobi held him by the elbows and pulled down his arms, and in a quick whirling blur they disappeared from the sight of their enemies.

* * *

Deidara fell to the floor, sat up properly, and looked around with wide eyes at this new place he once thought only existed in dreams. There was a black sky and a wide white floor, large cubes floating and arranged randomly. Tobi stood, and slightly spread his hands in a gesture of 'well, here we are.'

"This is a safer place. Kabuto won't be able to reach us here or control you," Tobi faced him, and Deidara recoiled at the sight of his one Sharingan eye, and another eye resembling Pein's. "You thought this place was a dream, didn't you?" he asked.

"This is… a dimension from a sharingan's genjutsu," Deidara said, one hand pushing aside the hair arranged to cover one eye, and both his eyes open to survey the place. Tobi only nodded. In a former lifetime, he would have lashed out at Tobi, screamed himself hoarse and already trailed off numerous explosions. Now, though, he didn't react with violence because he didn't know what else to say. Who he thought was Tobi was a lie, and even his voice sounded different now. He was more curious than angry.

"So, what now, Madara-_san_? Who are you, really?" he said the name's suffix with a sneer.

"Senpai, you didn't even talk to me when we met. You and Sasori were so busy arguing," Tobi said, in a way that made Deidara unsure if Tobi was mocking him or not. He said '_senpai_' as if he's used to saying it, like how it's easier to for Deidara to call Sasori '_danna_'.

"Are you avoiding my question? What does Sasori have to do with anything now?"

There was a pause. Tobi seemed to think, choosing the right words to say.

"I'll tell you the truth, because it doesn't matter. I go by as many names as I have masks. I'm just an actor. I'm no one, don't wanna be anyone, that's all. There's one plan I'm here for, and we'll win this war for that."

"What? That's not a funny joke. But I agree you do a good job of it – acting, I mean. I want to ask some things, though. Was Sasuke Uchiha alive after my death? What… did he have to do with you?"

"Yes. He is important to my plans. Does that piss you off?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. What can I do, anyway? It seems a lot has happened since I died. I'm not sure I want to know everything," Deidara said, walking to a nearby white cube to sit on one edge, slouching. He looked at Tobi, who removed the weapon on his back and placed it on the floor. Deidara could see the Uchiha clan insignia on his clothing. Tobi sat beside him.

"But you know what I realized?" Deidara said.

Tobi looked at him, curious.

"That in this artless shinobi world, only me and Sasori ever cared about art enough. That we even argued about it all the time. He was the only one I expected to understand…" Deidara continued.

"Why do we sound so serious? I liked your art fine, and you seemed to get over Sasori's first death quite fast. Besides, Tobi was my favorite role. I'm not saying I fooled you, senpai. I really did have a blast," he said in his old, enthusiastic voice as Tobi. Deidara smiled, the awkwardness earlier disappeared and now they seem more like two friends catching up after a long time of not seeing each other.

"Anyway, your new mask sucks."

"Really? But you know, its wartime and I needed a new look," and Tobi posed, placed his hands on his hips like some sassy girl.

"Yeah, the new clothes do look better on you. Seriously, I know your mask is supposed to be imitating the sharingan design, but it only looks like a dumbass dartboard with a bulls-eye."

"So what would you suggest, senpai?"

"Something less bland and scarier? Like the one on Hiruko's back."

"But, that's the purpose of my mask, for my face to be blank. And, who's Hiruko?"

"It's always better to have some _art _to it, you know. Hiruko's one of Sasori's puppets, the one he hides in. It had a huge scary mask on the back with that scorpion tail hanging out its grinning mouth."

"Here's a mask I used before," and Tobi's mask changed to red-orange one with simple swirls of a black flame pattern painted on it.

"Yes, that one's better to go with your clothes, but if you've used it before then it wouldn't be a new look. Something new," and once Deidara said it, Tobi's took off the current mask, and another cat-like ANBU mask appeared where it was before.

"Too simple."

He removed it again, showing a simple mask like Kakashi's.

"Unoriginal."

He tugged the mask down, changing to an elaborate, dramatic black masquerade mask complete with glitter and feathers.

"Is this a war or a ball dance?" Deidara asked, laughing.

Tobi changed it to all the masks he owns, to ANBU masks modelled after every sign of the zodiac, to masks he'd seen, revealing masks behind masks but Deidara still didn't approve. He tried changing it to a Guy Fawkes mask, a balaclava, Jigsaw's, the damn Batman's. Deidara wrinkled his nose, played the critic, and kept on commenting that it still wasn't right.

"Well, if you're the artist here, why don't you make the mask? We'll end up arguing for hours just about a damn mask," so he just took it off and sighed in exasperation.

"I don't even like masks. Now that you said it, I might try. Let me think," Deidara said, and started imagining possible designs. It usually worked that way with his art, that there must be a complete picture of his creation in his head before making it.

"I just remembered… I can't even change my mask if I want to. It's freaking _custom-made_, you know? Making another would take so long. Why do I even listen to you…" Tobi said, and laughed.

In a much delayed reaction on Deidara's part, he only realized that Tobi has actually removed his mask after five minutes into thinking of a new design while staring at the white cubes stretching at the darkness beyond. He turned to watch Tobi, who sneered and stared back. There ensued another awkward, silent five minutes of Deidara looking at Tobi looking at Deidara look at him.

Deidara's surprised that he's not that surprised. Tobi's face more or less looked like how he imagined Tobi without his mask (if it turned out he wasn't actually the Invisible Man). He had pictured it with some deformity, and he wasn't wrong. One side of his face was smooth, another side wrinkled and scarred. With the mismatched red and violet eyes, it gave an unsettling effect of asymmetry.

Symmetry, he has heard once, was the basic principle of aesthetics. A face seen as beautiful had balanced features. But Deidara wasn't one to simply believe in what others say about art, and he's been known to question their beliefs and create art no one else expected to be. Tobi was somehow… both hideous and beautiful at the same time. Not that _beautiful_ was a fitting term to describe another man openly. The word somehow floated in his mind, but saying "You look hideous and beatiful" would sound weird. Deidara couldn't think of a right word to describe it. Maybe _menacing _sounds right. Yes, that's what he'll say.

"You know, I don't think you even need a mask. You look more menacing that way, just glare or smirk or look serious enough."

Tobi smiled, eventually laughed. He looked more like a boy than a man when he did that.

"Do you still recall that silly team motto you made?" Deidara asked, and Tobi nodded and started saying it.

"We're partners!"

"…and the world is ours for the taking," Deidara continued. He always spoke this line with irritation before, it was corny. But for now, he smiled and said it like he meant it.

"As long as it doesn't take too much work!" Tobi finished.

Tobi reached for something in his pants pocket, and showed Deidara two small clay creatures.

"Those are still with you?" he asked, amused.

"Only your chakra can make them explode, right? I tried saying _katsu_ but it doesn't work. I know you wouldn't approve of me keeping them, anyway. Knowing you, you'd rather have them explode," Tobi answered, handing the small clay dragonfly and beetle to Deidara.

"Yeah," he formed a hand seal, and the clay creatures started flying away. They exploded into the black blank sky, illuminating the darkness for a moment. The dragonfly turned to an ordinary firework of green and blue lights, while the beetle turned to an ordinary explosion of orange fire and grey billowing smoke.

Deidara noticed three children, two boys and a girl, watching the fireworks. They stood on a white platform far from them. When they noticed Deidara looking at them, they faded away like ghosts. They looked familiar and eerie, like illusions. It made him uncomfortable, but he didn't ask Tobi who or what they were.

"I guess we can't stay here for long, Senpai. When it's time, I'll command all the revived jinchuuriki to fight. There are still the eight-tails and the nine-tails to capture," Tobi said.

"Yeah, I'll be going, too. I still need to go explode some people."

"Something big is coming up. I wish you won't miss it. When we win this war, there will be a new world."

"Well, good luck, but I think I won't be around until then. If I can remove Kabuto's seal, I'll do another masterpiece – another ultimate art before I go. If I die a second time, it might as well be another blaze of glory," Deidara said, and smirked.

"Senpai, even if you don't want to be there, you can be there if I want you to be…" Tobi said.

"What do you mean?"

Tobi only smiled. Deidara was reminded of Sasori's long-ago _I'll add you to my collection_… Tobi meant another thing, but it made Deidara think of Sasori anyway.

"Maybe we won't see each other again here, Tobi, Madara, or whoever you are."

"Obito. That's my first real name. He's officially dead, though, the boy who once carried that name. Only a name of a dead hero carved in some Konoha memorial stone," Tobi said.

"Goodbye, Obito, then..." Deidara said.

"Time to go, senpai," Tobi said, and held Deidara by the arms again.

Something shifted in his vision, and Deidara was left alone again in an empty plain surrounded by trees. The sky is dark, moonless and cloudless, and the only sound he can hear is the rustling whisper of the cold breeze against the leaves. That was how Deidara and Obito first met, and also the last time.

_End_

* * *

###

AN 2: Thanks to the few who read, reviewed, followed, & fave'd! It makes me glad. Also, I used one paragraph from one of my drabbles (that was an alternate ending to ch 519, but here it ends in a different way).


End file.
